


Meeting at the Pokemon Day Care

by LyriaBlackFrost



Category: Persona 5
Genre: AU - pokemon, Alternate Universe, Crush at First Sight, Fluff, Light-Hearted, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28285053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: After being disowned by his father, Goro leaves home with his Eevee to find a new place for himself. On his way, he meets Ryuji, who works at a Pokemon Day Care and has an instant effect on Goro’s heart.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Sakamoto Ryuji
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	Meeting at the Pokemon Day Care

**Author's Note:**

> Merry birthmas to me! Using my own birthday as an excuse to write another very self-indulgent fic (as if I didn't spend the entire year doing just that).
> 
> I’ve been thinking about a RyuGoro Pokemon AU for… over a year now, I think, but never wrote anything for it. Well, I took the chance to do it now. No deep plot or anything, just pure fluff.
> 
> I hope you like it!

As soon as Goro entered that small building named “Sakamoto’s Pokemon Day Care”, carrying his Eevee in his arms, he was greeted by a wide, warm smile.

“Welcome!”

The man behind the counter was probably around his age—twenty years old—and had a pastel blue and pink apron, with a stylized Bulbasaur painted on the chest area. In another situation, Goro would probably find some amusement in how much his cute outfit clashed with his bright blond hair, black nails, and the piercings on his ears. At that moment, however, all that information ran through his brain too quickly for him to fully absorb any of it.

“Hello…” he said. “I’m sorry to bother you, but do you have any medicine I can buy?” He indicated the Eevee with a movement of his head. “We were attacked by a group of wild Sparrows on our way here, and I don’t know how far the next Pokemon center is.”

The man’s welcoming expression quickly changed to a concerned one.

“Ah, of course!” He indicated the counter with a gesture. “Lemme see him.”

Eevee flinched closer to Goro, scared. He was usually a timid one, but the scratches caused by those Sparrows only seemed to make his fear of others worse.

“It’s alright,” murmured Goro. “He’s going to help you.”

After some hesitation, Eevee finally allowed Goro to place him on the counter. The carer examined him, lightly furrowing his brow.

“This looks painful.” He offered Eevee a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, little guy… It’ll get better in a second, okay?”

Eevee seemed to relax a little, and so did Goro. He watched as that man took a medicine bag, and carefully started to tend to those small injuries. Only then he could pay more attention to his surroundings: the room was painted in a calm mint-green color, and had a few pictures of the blond carer and a woman whose face and eyes resembled his—probably his mother—on the walls. Both of them were always surrounded by Pokemon in those pictures, and carried wide smiles on their faces. Seeing how happy the Pokemon seemed around them reassured Goro that his Eevee was in good hands.

A small noise called his attention, and he soon noticed a Pikachu with a blue crochet flower on her head climbing on the counter. She waved at Goro with a small _“pika”_ , then helped a Cubone get on the counter, beside her. Cubone quickly hid behind Pikachu, but still offered Goro a small nod of his head. Apparently, even his Pokemon were of the friendly kind…

“You’re new here, right?” The carer’s voice caught his attention. “Most people avoid route 16 nowadays… It’s too dangerous.”

“Yes,” said Goro. “I’m from Iwatodai.”

The answer made the carer look at him, surprised.

“Iwatodai?” he said. “That’s pretty far… Are you a trainer?”

“Not exactly. More like a traveler.”

“I see.”

The carer didn’t question him any further, to which Goro was grateful: he didn’t want to talk about the reason he left home anytime soon. He spent the next few minutes watching as the carer finished cleaning and covering Eevee’s wounds, while his Pikachu gently patted Eevee’s head, trying to comfort him.

“Right, done.” Said the carer after a while. “Much better now, right?”

To Goro’s surprise, Eevee offered him a tiny, grateful smile. He wasn’t the kind to interact with strangers, but maybe having his wounds taken care of made him trust that man enough to open up a little. Containing a relieved smile, Goro caressed Eevee’s fur.

“Thank you,” he said to the carer.

He was about to take Eevee, but before he could, the carer held his wrist, startling him.

“Wait,” he said, “you’ve got some ugly scratches too… We should take care of them.”

That was so unexpected that Goro simply stared at him for a few seconds, unsure of how to respond.

“You don’t have to—”

“Don’t be difficult…” insisted the carer. “Just let people help you.” He walked away from the counter, toward the back door. “Just a minute, I’ll get the human first-aid kit.”

“Alright…”

He waited there, until the carer came back with a small white box. He gestured toward a chair, and, as soon as Goro sat down, started to clean his wounds. The medicine stung a little, but his gestures were so light and careful that Goro barely felt any pain. It was a little strange, to be touched with such gentleness… Especially when he spent his entire life sharing a roof with his father, who was the complete opposite of a gentle person.

Thinking about that man made his stomach turn. His father was a rich and powerful man in his home region, and for years Goro never questioned where his money came from—until he got old enough to understand something seemed off. And he was right: from illegal fights to the smuggling of rare Pokemon… His father commanded countless, shady businesses all across Iwatodai. When Goro finally confronted him about it, he had the option to either stay quiet, or to be disowned and leave.

His final choice was an obvious one.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Goro looked at that man, accidentally meeting his gaze. He quickly looked down again, unsure of why seeing his brown eyes at such a short distance made him feel so flustered.

“No, that should be all.” He somehow managed to keep a casual tone. “How much do I owe you?”

The carer dismissed the question with a wave of his hand.

“C’mon, it’s just a little medicine,” he said. “Don’t worry about it.”

“But—”

“I told you not to worry about it.” He offered Goro a bright smile. “Just remember me if you ever need someone to take care of your Pokemon for you, okay?”

_Oh, shit… He was cute._

“Sounds good,” said Goro.

He reached for his Eevee, taking him in his arms, but not before Pikachu gave him a last pat on the head.

“Anything else you need?” asked the carer.

“Nothing for now.” Goro offered him a smile. “Thanks again.”

“Hope to see you soon!”

He waved, and his Pikachu and Cubone mimicked the gesture. Goro responded with a nod, then walked to the door, leaving the place. He only noticed the smile on his face when he realized Eevee was looking at him with an amused grin.

“Why are you looking at me like that? He was nice, that’s all.”

The Eevee let out a small, mocking sound. He could be scared and timid, but he never missed a chance to act like a brat. Goro narrowed his eyes at him, and Eevee responded by licking his chin.

“Oh…” Goro widened his eyes as a thought crossed his mind. “I should have asked where the nearest inn is…” He thought better about it, and then shrugged. “Well, I’m sure we’ll get by.”

Eevee didn’t seem so sure of it, but Goro didn’t have enough courage to go inside that place again. Taking a deep breath, he started to walk away, still unable to take that carer’s smile and gentle touch out of his mind.

* * *

Goro needed a minute to gather enough courage to step inside that Pokemon day care once again, his eyes immediately falling upon that same blond carer from the previous day. He was placing an orange bow on his Pikachu’s head, while the Cubone watched, wearing a matching, yellow one. He raised his eyes to the door, with that friendly expression on his face.

“Welcome!” There was a glint of recognition in his eyes when he saw Goro. “Oh, it’s you…” He widened his smile. “How is little Eevee doing?”

Goro glanced at Eevee, who had an excited expression on his face. It made Goro smile as well. He placed Eevee on the counter, and both Pikachu and Cubone quickly came to greet him.

“He’s much better now,” he said. “Thanks to you, we managed to reach a Pokemon center without any problem.”

The carer nodded.

“And you?” he asked. “Are your wounds any better?”

_Oh, Arceus… He was concerned about him…_

“Yes. Thanks for asking.” Goro shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying to stay calm. “By the way… I didn’t get your name yesterday.”

“Oh…” The carer widened his eyes a little, before letting out a slightly embarrassed laugh. “It’s Ryuji. Ryuji Sakamoto. And you?”

“Goro Akechi.” He glanced again at Eevee, who wagged his tail while Pikachu placed her orange bow on his head. “So… I thought maybe you could take care of Eevee for a day. I have some problems to deal with, and I’m sure he’d be much happier here than getting bored out there, with me.”

“Of course!” Ryuji thought for a moment. “Are you goin’ to the city? Know your way, already?”

Truth was, he would probably get lost a few times before finding the places he wanted to go. But he couldn’t ask for even more of Ryuji’s assistance, especially after everything he did for him on the previous day.

“Ah, yes… Thank you.” A thought crossed Goro’s mind. “Any route I should avoid this time?”

“Not really. Routes 14 and 16 are the only ones you should try to avoid. You should have no problem on your way to the city from here.”

“That’s a relief.”

He wanted to say something else, but suddenly his mind was blank. So, instead, he patted Eevee’s head, careful not to mess his new bow.

“I should get going, then…” he said. “Please, take care of Eevee for me.”

“Don’t worry about him.” Ryuji offered another of his warm smiles. “Safe travels!”

Goro nodded, walking outside. Well… Now his true journey would begin.

Actually, _journey_ made it sound much more interesting than it was… Looking for a new home and a new job in that unfamiliar place was nothing but anxiety-inducing, but Goro had no time to worry about it. He had some money in his bank account, but he shouldn’t count on it for a long time. The sooner he had a roof over his head and a steady income, the better.

He spent most of that day and afternoon walking around, leaving copies of his resume in any place looking for new employees, while also checking a few places to rent. After a few tries, he finally found a nice one: it was a small apartment, but the rent was fair, and the location was pretty good. As for the job, he would have no choice but wait until they contacted him. Hopefully, at least one of those places would be interested in his resume.

The sun was already setting when he finally came back to the Sakamoto’s Pokemon Day Care. This time, Ryuji wasn’t behind the balcony, but the sound of the doorbell soon made him appear, with his apron covered in paw-shaped dirt stains. Goro tried not to think of how their size and shape matched Eevee’s.

“Oh, you’re back, already,” said Ryuji. “Eevee is playing in the back garden with the others.”

“Did he give you any trouble?”

Ryuji shook his head.

“Nah, he’s a really good boy.” He smiled fondly. “He and Pikachu became really close.”

Goro remembered how Pikachu gave Eevee her bow earlier, and it warmed his heart.

“That’s good to hear,” he said. “Eevee is a little shy, so it’s rare for him to make friends.”

“Really?” Ryuji seemed surprised. “I’d never have guessed… He was really friendly and playful all the time.”

“That’s because you and your Pokemon were so nice to him.”

Ryuji let out a small laugh, placing a hand on the side of his neck as his face acquired a pinkish tone. _Damn… He was too cute._

“Thanks,” he said. “Glad to know we made him feel at ease.”

Goro paid him the small fee, trying not to stare too much.

“I’ll go get him for you,” said Ryuji.

A minute later, Ryuji came back carrying Eevee in his arms, with Pikachu—now with a new, red bow—following him closely. He placed Eevee over the counter, and Goro scratched his ears.

“Hey, buddy…” he said. “Did you have fun today?”

Eevee squealed happily, his tail wagging with excitement. It was rare to see him in such good spirits… Maybe he needed more of that: other Pokemon friends, instead of spending all the time with a socially awkward human. Goro took him in his arms, looking at Ryuji.

“Bring him again anytime,” said Ryuji. “I’m sure Pikachu will be happy to play with him again, right?”

The Pikachu agreed with some happy noises.

“I will,” said Goro. “It’s good to see that he had so much fun while I was away.”

That was when he should probably say his goodbyes and leave. However, after spending most of that day pondering if he should or shouldn’t proceed with that silly idea, he didn’t want to simply walk away. After hesitating for a second, he looked Ryuji in the eyes, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.

“Listen, Ryuji…” He made a small pause, trying to find the right words. “You were really kind to Eevee and I before, so… If it isn’t a problem, would you like to go out for dinner?”

Ryuji widened his eyes, clearly taken aback by the offer. Goro was instantly filled with regret.

“I’m sorry…” he said. “I didn’t mean to make you—”

“Sounds great.”

He could do nothing but look at Ryuji, unable to comprehend that response for a few seconds.

“Oh… That’s good.”

Ryuji giggled, and Goro hoped he didn’t think he was a fool.

“So…” said Ryuji. “What did you have in mind?”

That… was actually a good question. He had been so concerned about how—and if—he should ask Ryuji out that he hadn’t planned anything after that. He averted his gaze, now feeling _his_ face burn.

“I didn’t really think this through” he admitted, “so… Do you have any recommendations?”

Thankfully, Ryuji didn’t seem bothered by his lack of plans.

“Leave it to me, then,” he said. “My mom should be back at seven, so… Is eight o’clock a good time for you?”

“Yes, sure.”

“Alright.” Ryuji widened his smile. “Let’s meet here at eight, then.”

Hearing him say that made Goro’s heart jump.

“Sounds like a plan,” he said. “See you later.”

“See you.”

Ryuji and Pikachu waved at him and Eevee as they left.

“I almost messed everything up…” he murmured as soon as he was outside.

Eevee reached for his face, touching it with his paw in a comforting gesture.

“But he still said yes.” Goro smiled as he proceeded. “Looks like I’m going on a date tonight!”

Eevee rejoiced with him, and his support made Goro laugh, happy with that turn of events.

“Thanks, buddy.”

He made a quick trip to the inn where he and Eevee had spent the previous night, taking a shower and changing his clothes. When he was done, it was almost time to meet Ryuji, so he went straight back to the day care. With a mix of anxiousness and excitement, he walked inside, being greeted by the woman he had seen in those photographs.

“Welcome!” she said.

In person, she looked even more like Ryuji. She had a similar apron, but hers was pastel green and orange, and had a stylized Venosaur on the chest, instead of Ryuji’s Bulbasaur. Goro had to hold back a smile at that small detail.

“Hello,” said Goro. “I came to see Ryuji.”

As soon as he said that, her friendly expression changed to slight surprise, and then back to a smile—but this time an amused one, as she inspected him from head to toe.

“Oh, so _you_ are the one Ryu talked about…” she said.

That comment caught him by surprise.

“He did…?”

The words escaped his mouth before he could hold them back. His reaction only seemed to contribute to her amusement.

“He’ll be here in a minute,” she said. “I’ll take care of your little friend until you come back… It’s on the house this time.”

She indicated Eevee with her hand, and he seemed ecstatic with the idea of playing more with his new friends. Goro raised Eevee, placing him on the counter.

“Thank you, uh…”

“Aoi,” she said. “And there’s no need to thank me. Just make it a fun date for my boy, alright?”

She winked at him, and, once again, Goro felt his face and neck burn.

“Sure… I’ll do my best.”

Maybe his response sounded more formal and stiff than he wanted, since it made Aoi laugh.

“You’re an earnest one,” she said. “I like that.”

Thankfully, Ryuji appeared before Goro came up with an answer—and a possible new way to embarrass himself. When he saw Goro, his expression brightened.

“Ah, you’re here.” He took a look at Goro’s face, showing an amused smile. “Man, your face is all red…” He thought for a second, and his expression became more serious as he faced his mother. “You weren’t teasing him, were you, mom?”

“Just a little bit… I couldn’t resist.”

Ryuji sighed, looking at Goro once again.

“Sorry about that,” he said.

Goro quickly waved his hand in front of him.

“No, it’s alright.”

Aoi watched them with that amused smile on her face, while gently caressing Eevee’s fur—who already seemed attached to her. Maybe that was a _Sakamoto_ power, after all… Goro grinned to himself at the thought.

“You two have fun tonight!” she said.

“Thanks, mom.”

“Thank you.”

Goro bowed briefly to her, before following Ryuji outside. The weather was cool, but not enough for him to feel cold; without as many city lights around, the stars also seemed brighter than usual. The two of them walked side by side for a while, before Ryuji finally broke the silence.

“I hope my mom didn’t make you regret askin’ me out,” he said with a nervous half-smile.

“Not at all.” Once again, Goro caught himself thinking of how similar those two seemed to be—and how close as well. “She seems like a nice woman.”

Ryuji’s half-smile bloomed into a full, bright one.

“Yeah, that she is.” He sounded less nervous than moments before. “So, let’s get going?”

“Sure.”

Goro let Ryuji lead the way. They walked without haste, simply enjoying the evening and the conversation for the moment. They hadn’t talked much before that date, but something about Ryuji made Goro feel at ease… He just wanted to keep chatting, and laughing, and looking at that beautiful smile of his. Even if they did nothing but that the entire night, he would still be more than happy to accompany him.

He had the feeling that would be a fun evening… Probably the best one he had in years.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel that, if Goro didn't have all the canon drama on his shoulders, he would be the biggest nerd. It's good to see him in a better situation (despite Shido still being an asshole).
> 
> Also, Ryuji would make accessories for all his Pokemon... During winter, they all would have matching scarves and beanies. I also imagine that they have an old Venosaur at home (who was his mom's initial) and that's why they chose those aprons. He helped her take care of small Ryuji while she was busy, so they became very close. Sometimes, Ryuji cuddles with him and they take a nap together (Pikachu and Cubone sometimes join them too). Aoi took a nice picture of them to hang on the wall, but she has many more saved because they're too cute.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!


End file.
